Yesterday we headed to Beyoğlu, one of oldest neighborhoods of Istanbul, to visit few exhibitions. One of them was Engravings and Ceramics from the House of Birth of Pablo Picasso exhibition at Pera Museum.

We are delighted to visit this exhibition. Not only for having the chance to see one more time this master’s brilliant art work, also to see an impressive selection of his engravings and ceramics to observe his stylistic and artistic transitions, how he combine the styles in his work especially in engravings.

Exhibition is open until 20 of April 2014 at Pera Museum, Istanbul. You can also find the book of this small but impressive exhibition at museum shop.

Yesterday evening in a theatre in Istanbul, Alkışlar Tiyatrosu players performed a story taking place in one of old neighborhoods of Istanbul, in Tatavla (actual name Kurtuluş). It was about Tatavla, it was about Turks, it was about “us”. It was about muslim, Greek orthodox, Armenian people of this country living together, sharing happiness and pain. Before the play, actors and audience shared a minute of silence for Berkin. He was a 15 years old boy, shot by police with a gas canister from his head last summer, during the protests against islamist government.

Yesterday, we farewelled him after 269 days of coma. Yesterday we felt ashamed for not being able to protect him. Yesterday, people talking of being religious but trying to divide this country as muslim, christian, jewish didn’t feel ashamed…

Yesterday evening after few pints at The Dog&Duck, our favorite small pub in Soho, we went to Gielgud Theatre for Strangers on a Train, a play written by Craig Warner based on the same name novel by American crime writer Patricia Highsmith.

We didn’t watch the film of the novel directed by Alfred Hitchcock but we can say that the theatre version was brilliant and it was another London theatre production show. The projections they used in the play were impressive. The only actor we knew from before was Laurence Fox from tv series Lewis and we were excited to watch him in a live performance. All cast was really successful and we are very pleased to have a chance to watch the play. Definitely recommended.

“A seemingly innocent conversation soon turns into a nightmarish and dangerous reality for Guy Haines when he meets Charles Bruno on a train journey, ahead lies a lethal nightmare of blackmail and psycological torment that threatens to cost Guy his career, his marriage and his sanity. His choice: to kill or to be framed for a murder he didn’t commit…”

1955 dated The Ladykillers is a British black comedy we watched last year. The film is based on the story of five gangsters who rent a room at the house of an old lady and pretend to be musicians while they are planning a bank robbery.

Yesterday evening we headed to Strand, to Vaudeville Theatre, for watching The Ladykillers at the theatre this time. We arrived little bit earlier and popped up at The George for few pints, a lovely old British pub established in 1723. Then continued with coctails at the bar of the theatre. As a dessert, we had The “spectacular” Ladykillers. We really loved the play, the performance of the players, specially Angela Thorne as Mrs. Wilberforce and John Gordon Sinclair as Professor Marcus but our special respects are for the set designer Michael Taylor and special effects designer Scott Penrose. What a wonderfull scenery they created in such a little place. It was just: impressive!

If you still didn’t watch The Ladykillers at the scene, last days to have the chance. Don’t miss it.

When we visit new places, new cultures, we try to pop-up in their temples and observe the rituals and sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of these events like Buddha’s birthday celebration in a small, no touristic temple in Shanghai where we saw impressive scenes and at the end shared noodle soup with chinese community. It was one of most unforgettable moments of our travels.

Also we like special events in special temples like blessing of cars in a church in Coppacabana, Bolivia or a monastery in Symi Island, Greece visited by sailors for blessing.

This morning we enjoyed a very special service at St. Mary-at-Hill Church near Old Billingsgate Fish Market: Fish Harvest Service. When we arrived there, the nartex of the church decorated with fresh fishes and other richeness of the sea by fishmongers of Billingsgate Fish Market welcomed us.

Everybody prayed and shared their good wishes for seafarers, listened the church choir in company with the St. Mary-at-Hill Church’s organ which is described as one of the ten most important organs in the history of British organ building. Following the service, we joined the white wine and sushies (yes sushies) shared as a courtesy of the church. And we recorded another good memory to our London days.

From the prayers of seafarers:

“…we pray to thee for all seafarers and those who serve their needs; for keepers of lighthouses and the pilots of our ports; for all who man the lifeboats and guard our coasts; for the men of the fishing fleets and those who carry out the services of docks and harbours; for the guilds and societies which care for the wellbeing of fishermen and their families…”

Today was a perfect, sunny day in our little kingdom. After a nice breakfast at home we walked to Southbank for a special car boot sale: Classic Car Boot Sale.

It was a very special car boot sale because all sellers came there with their vintage cars and motorcycles, even the food vans were vintage style. It was a real heaven for vintage lovers, classic car and motorcycle fans and there was also some little treats for foodies. We tried lobster rolls of Bob’s Lobster which they were serving from a vintage VW van and it was just “delicious”.

After the car boot sale we walked through Gerrard Street and filled our stomacs with chinese food. Then a little grocery shopping in our favorite Turkish supermarket and finally washing down the chinese food we ate, in our pub with few pints.

Now it’s time for some cups of good tea with homemade peanut butter cookies and enjoy British crime dramas!